Exclusive: Sunderland, Millwall and QPR in race to sign Fulham player | OneFootball

Sunderland, Millwall and QPR are among a host of clubs who are keen on signing Fulham’s Jay Stansfield, Football League World can exclusively reveal.

Who is Jay Stansfield?

The 20-year-old came through the ranks at Exeter, before signing for Fulham as a teenager in 2019, and he has gone on to make eight appearances for the Cottagers, including three in the Premier League.

Whilst he remains highly-rated, the reality is that he wouldn’t get regular minutes at Craven Cottage, so a loan to Exeter was sorted last season.

It was an emotional move for Stansfield, who is the son of Grecians favourite Adam, who sadly passed away in 2010.

The youngster excelled in League One, scoring nine goals in 36 games, whilst he impressed with his all-round game that made him a constant threat to the opposition. Now back with Fulham, Stansfield has been with Marco Silva’s side for pre-season, and he was an unused substitute in the opening day win over Everton.

Championship interest emerges in Jay Stansfield

However, FLW can confirm that a move is on the cards for the player before the deadline, with Sunderland, Millwall and QPR having all registered their interest in the player.

Crucially, Fulham are willing to let Stansfield go to continue his development, but they are waiting for Aleksandar Mitrovic’s situation to be sorted first.

It’s no secret that Al-Hilal are desperate to sign the Serbian international, and the Cottagers want to know his future, and potentially sort out replacements, before they let Stansfield go.

However, there is an expectation that Mitrovic’s future will be resolved in the next week or so, which should open the door for Stansfield’s exit.

As well as the Championship trio, there is interest in League One, so Fulham won’t be short on options when they plot the next move for their exciting talent.

Which clubs need to sign Jay Stansfield?

Firstly, you can understand why there is so much interest in the attacker, as Stansfield is someone with enormous potential, and he will keep improving over the next 12 months.

He’s not just a goalscorer either, with the seven assists he registered last season proving he is someone who can link play, and he has an eye for a pass.

Sunderland seem an obvious fit with their style of play, and Tony Mowbray has shown he is a manager that will give young players a chance to flourish. Meanwhile, Millwall and QPR are both in need of attacking reinforcements, so Stansfield could be given the opportunities he craves in the second tier.

Realistically from the perspective of the player, he needs to be playing week in, week out.

The fact he moved to Exeter shows how Stansfield values game time, and his performances in the third tier proved he is ready for the step-up.

With that in mind, you’d have to say whoever does bring him in would be making a shrewd addition, and it will be interesting to see where he ends up, and how this season progresses for the England youth international.